It was August, the sunflowers were blooming, and Van Gogh desperately wanted to capture them in a series of 12 pictures. Because the flowers wilted so quickly, he worked on his canvases every day.
He painted the series to decorate the room where Paul Gauguin would stay when he arrived in Arles. He chose this subject because his friend had previously admired his paintings of sunflowers run to seed
In the end, Vincent executed four sunflower still lifes; however, he felt only two were good enough to hang in Gauguin’s bedroom. He was later to paint three copies of them, one of which is the version in the Van Gogh Museum
Wheat Field with a Lark 1887
Vincent van Gogh’s Wheatfield is a minimal scene. This picture has almost nothing but simple geometry and strict economy. The little bird fluterring in the sky above the field of corn breaks the pattern. It is a single, small, isolated thing set against a pretty uniform background. The lark through contrast with the denseness of the wheat field makes you feel and experience the emptiness of the air. The fact that it could anywhere emphasizes the air as a free and open area. Perhaps the viewer is reminded that he too is free to change his course and direction.
